arena of the ideas

First of all - let me refer you to my blog where I've summarized some of what is being said about the future of education and added an articulation of my own vision. It can be found at edu490.blogspot.ca

Topic lists:

1) Resource for teachers: The goal here is to create an organized system of resources for teachers which is easy to search and use and will impact teaching right away.

• quality materials for every lesson of every course
• diversity of resource types: videos, instructional videos, powerpoint, worksheets, review, tests, online instant feedback for students
• diversity of instructional styles
• diversity of assessment styles
• interconnectedness between courses: grade levels and subjects (interdiscipline)
• intuitive to search
• adaptable
• easy to upload/download/edit

2) Resource for students: The potential exists to support student learning in many ways, either through independent studies or as support to a regular classroom course.

• organized, slick, visual, quality, complete
• well structured progression through topics/levels/courses
• enrichment/remedial available everywhere
• colour coded for delivery style
• easy - efficient tracking system
• applications to real world, glimpses of the use of a concept in future courses: 'where would I use this?'
• opportunity for spontaneous departure: "inspired project"
• opportunity for group work/challenges

3) Questions or Challenges

1. What architecture is needed? How should it look/function? What costs to develop or maintain it? Who will pay for it?.
2. Could we make/use/organize an international curriculum where each local curriculum is a subset? ;)
3. How do we deal with proprietary issues like teachers uploading materials that aren't theirs to share?
4. How do we make access universal and not "divide between the haves and have nots"?
5. How do we incorporate/document research? What reading list/publishing list should be shared?
6. How do we allow new ideas or theories to expand longitudinally throughout the project (which I'll call the 'tree')
7. How do we use this structure to maximize Pro. D. and teacher to teacher sharing/mentoring?